Woman accidentally shot by gun in friend's purse

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 14 (UPI) -- Police say a Florida woman could face criminal charges after a gun in her purse went off accidentally in a Starbucks, shooting her friend in the leg.

The accidental gunfire occurred Sunday at Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg, The Tampa Bay Times reported. Pamela Beck, 51, and Amie Peterson, 38, of Pinellas Park had stopped for coffee and Beck dropped her purse while she was paying.

A .25-caliber handgun in the purse discharged, hitting Peterson in the leg.

Beck told police she put the gun in her purse after her father gave it to her last year and had forgotten about it. Because Beck does not have a concealed weapons permit, police referred the shooting to prosecutors.

Peterson said she did not even realize she had been shot until she looked down and noticed her leg was bleeding.

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